I'm the new owner of a english bulldog puppy... He's 3 months old and we adopted him 2 weeks ago... We switched his food and now he has what seems like diarrhea... since he is my first puppy, i am a bit worried... i'm not sure if it's really diarrhea since he doesnt really poop more than usual... it's just really liquidy... so i don't know if it's the new food or something else... What should we do? Should we stop giving him food for some hours so his stomac can rest?

Thanks for the help!

Winston

October 3rd, 2008, 12:24 PM

You could give him some plain white rice to help his bowels a bit...But I would go get some pumpkin...Not the pie filing..has to be the pure pumkin...Give him a couple of spoons on his dinner and this should help. Did you mix the old and new food together? You may have to use the pumpkin for a few days.

Cindy

kandy

October 3rd, 2008, 12:41 PM

If you did not transition him slowly to the new food, it could just be upset tummy from the food change. If you changed him to a significantly higher quality food, you might be feeding too much.

scathach

October 3rd, 2008, 02:24 PM

we mixed the 2 foods for a while... now he is just on the new one... we don't feed him that much... about 2 cups a day

AmericanBullMom

October 3rd, 2008, 02:33 PM

Has he been around any other dogs? Has he had vaccinations? What food are you feeding him?

Diamondsmum

October 3rd, 2008, 02:41 PM

My puppy had this last week. neighbour fed her some leftovers. (I headed to vet) She was doing some whining too & puked. it was from the leftovers. Rice & the pumpkin helped until it was out of her system.

I wonder also was he recently vaccinated as Diamond also had liquidy poops (de worming vac). After her vet appoint on Tuesday.

Also is he drinking still?

scathach

October 3rd, 2008, 02:53 PM

he eats Nutrience puppy food... no leftover... he still drinks water... and he is playfull... he loves to run after the leaves on the grass... could the diarrhea be cause by him eating some leaves?

scathach

October 3rd, 2008, 02:54 PM

and he was vaccinated the day before we got him... so about 2 weeks ago...

Diamondsmum

October 3rd, 2008, 03:02 PM

Hmmm

Wouldnt be the vaccines but Diamond also eats leaves & hers (todays) are liquidy Pain de arse to do a poop & scoop (they are semi formed not watery but soft sorry guys for the visual)

Maybe it is the food? until he is adjusted 100% (does he gets lots of treats?)

is he gassy?

scathach

October 3rd, 2008, 03:10 PM

yeah he's gassy... but bulldog usually are gassy... so that i've read... he eats and drink really quickly so i guesse alot of air gets in the mix... he usually burbed after drinking... like a baby ;) Maybe he gets to much treats... since we are training him to go pee outside he gets a lil bit of treats everytime he go out... i might try some boil white rice with his food...

As others has mentioned, the loose stools could be a number of things:
a) Problems with the grains
b) Coccidia (a parasite)
c) Giardia (a parasite)
d) Worms

Feeding canned pumpkin, boiled rice, bland diet is not going to remedy the problem if they're still eating grain-based food.....

You should take a stool sample in to be checked. If it comes back clear, then the problem is almost guaranteed to be an intolerance to the grains.

scathach

October 5th, 2008, 11:46 AM

We gave rice to Georges and his poop his more solid! :) that's a relieve!!!

Winston

October 5th, 2008, 12:34 PM

You could place a kong or something in his food bowl to slow him down too! Good luck!

Cindy

kandy

October 6th, 2008, 05:58 PM

I see that corn and brewer's rice are the 2nd and 3rd ingredients in this food. That means that your dog is getting lots more cheap filler than meat and could be why his stool is runny. Corn isn't digested well by humans, let alone by dogs. And brewer's rice is basically the leftovers from other processing methods that gets swept up off the floor. That being said, beet pulp is 5th on the list, and that is a stool hardner so I would have to say that indicates that your dog does not tolerate corn well, otherwise the beet pulp would be firming the stool and hiding the problem.

Perhaps you could look for a food that doesn't use corn and see if that helps.

As others has mentioned, the loose stools could be a number of things:
a) Problems with the grains
b) Coccidia (a parasite)
c) Giardia (a parasite)
d) Worms

Feeding canned pumpkin, boiled rice, bland diet is not going to remedy the problem if they're still eating grain-based food.....

You should take a stool sample in to be checked. If it comes back clear, then the problem is almost guaranteed to be an intolerance to the grains.

scathach

October 15th, 2008, 09:06 AM

I went to the vet with Georges, he's got a cherry eye :sad: anyway since i was there she gave him a full exam and explain me alot of things. He needed to be vaccinated again and we did it since i was there (much cheaper that if i had came 4 days later on his due date) anyway i ask about his diarrhea and she told me that it could be the food... he's on IAM heathly naturals currently... she said it could be worm too so he's getting dewormed, i have med to gave him... anyway she said that if it doesnt get better we should try another food Eukanuba or Science diet... she said it was trials and errors to find the right food for our puppy.

Goldens4Ever

October 15th, 2008, 09:14 AM

.... anyway i ask about his diarrhea and she told me that it could be the food... he's on IAM heathly naturals currently... she said it could be worm too so he's getting dewormed, i have med to gave him... anyway she said that if it doesnt get better we should try another food Eukanuba or Science diet... she said it was trials and errors to find the right food for our puppy.

I'm glad you took him in, & that is what I've been saying all along.

I'm a nutrition specialist, specializing in nutrition plans for gastrointestinal problems, & by feeding IAMS, Eukanuba, & Science Diet foods, you are doing more harm than good. Those foods are loaded with grains, which cause multiple GI problems. There are other scary ingredients in those as well. Have you even read through the informational posts on this forum about what's in commercial dog foods? Obviously not, or you would have objected to your vets suggestions.

Grains within the food (oats, RICE, oatmeal, millet, corn, etc.) are almost always the culprit behind gas & other GI problems, once worms & parasites have been ruled out.

Oh well. Best wishes.

scathach

October 15th, 2008, 09:34 AM

what should i feed him then?

Purpledomino

October 15th, 2008, 03:57 PM

If you look through some of the threads in the dog food forums here you will get a better idea of what is a better choice to feed your puppy. I don't think I will get anyone objecting to the fact that I think that Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, or Nutrience are poor quality foods...and they are considering their ingredients.

First of all, a puppy's digestive system is usually not matured (for lack of a better description), and diarrhea can be a pretty common problem, as well as gas. Finding a quality diet is important, and sometimes fluctuating different formulas can cause GI issues in puppies that wouldn't be so bad in adult dogs. My bullmastiff for example, could not tolerate ANY change in his diet as a puppy...but now I can add healthy ingredients to his kibble with no loose stools.

You are not going to get a "quality" holistic dog food at the grocery store, or even at the vets office. Unfortunately, most vets do very well financially by carrying Hills (Science Diet, MediCal etc.) and it is in their best interest monetarily anyway to promote those products. Most veterinarians also do not do as much research on nutrition as we think, nor do they investigate the ingredients that are actually in the food they sell, or other options available.

I will give you some companies (IMO ;)) that I believe to be excellent and you can trust what your dog is eating. Go to a reputable pet food store...usually the small ones like Global, Pet Planet, etc., and talk to the proprietors for suggestions. Anything from Champion Pet Foods is good, that being ACANA, Orijen (grain-free), they only carry dry kibble formulas. Natura is excellent as well, and carries EVO (grain-free), Innova, California Naturals and others...both canned and dry. Petcurean, carries the Go! Natural brand...and has both grain/grain free varieties. Wellness is also good too.

If your pup has loose stools, I would also suggest a few things you can do. Assuming that he is parasite free etc., make sure that the change in diet is very gradual. You can buy probiotics/digestive enzymes from any drug store...or add plain yogurt to aid digestion during the transition. Eagle Pack carries a powder called "Holistic Transitions" that you sprinkle on the food to aid in the switch which works very well. Another thing you can try is adding raw green tripe, which is an excellent suppliment to any diet...and is great at GI health in aiding digestion. Pumpkin and rice will add fibre too and firm up stools and can be a quick fix until your pup has adjusted to a better diet.

Just remember that it is dangerous for a puppy to have diarrhea for very long, so keep this in mind and don't hesitate to visit your vet if it continues.
Good luck and I'm sure all the posters here want to see pictures of your baby! :D

LOL-it contains TONS OF GRAINS. Of course he's still going to have gas. GRAINS are very hard on the canine digestive system.

scathach

November 5th, 2008, 10:54 AM

well at least he doesnt have diarrhea anymore...

Goldens4Ever

November 5th, 2008, 11:44 PM

well at least he doesnt have diarrhea anymore...

Yes, that is wonderful. :) He is just so adorable.

rainbow

November 5th, 2008, 11:55 PM

I am glad that Georges doesn't have diarrhea anymore but I agree with Goldens4Ever and you should consider switching him to a grain free kibble. :thumbs up

Btw, Georges is adorable. :cloud9:

scathach

November 6th, 2008, 08:29 AM

We have look for grain free food for him but didnt find any in our area... The brands that Purpledomino posted are not distributated here :cry: well except wellness but they don't have a grain free puppy diet... my lil Georges is just 4 months old...

rainbow

November 6th, 2008, 03:01 PM

We have look for grain free food for him but didnt find any in our area... The brands that Purpledomino posted are not distributated here :cry: well except wellness but they don't have a grain free puppy diet... my lil Georges is just 4 months old...

i went and bought Orijen for puppy yesterday... we don't know yet if it will work cuz we are still using the hollistic kibble too... but there's not much left... so by next week, we will know and hopefully see a difference! :thumbs up

scathach

November 19th, 2008, 08:16 AM

Georges has been eating Orijen puppy formula for a week now... his poop is still very soft :( and man he's smellier than ever when he has gas... we wanted to die the other night!!! soooooooo smelly :yuck: So, i don't believe he has gas cuz of the grain!!!

Goldens4Ever

November 19th, 2008, 08:41 AM

Orijen is significantly higher in protein, so it has to be mixed with the current food for 3-4 weeks. High protein diets can cause very soft stools & excess gas, just like they do in humans if introduced to quickly. Only being on that food for 1 week is not near enough time for his stomach to adjust to it. Because he's had problems with soft stools & gas for so long, it should not be surprising to you that a super high protein diet is effecting him in this way. You are jumping to conclusions about a situation that you do not understand....Again, it needs to be mixed for 3-4 weeks & worked in very, very slowly.

scathach

November 19th, 2008, 08:52 AM

aww okay thanks!

TeriM

November 20th, 2008, 01:17 AM

Actually I have heard from several members that they do much better with switching to the high protein/low carb foods when it is done without mixing :shrug:. In some dogs they don't do well when the two are mixed but are fine when switched directly (should fast overnight at least). You can also add pumpkin to begin with to help if needed.

scathach

November 20th, 2008, 09:39 AM

we're going to keep giving him Orijen for a while... we'll see...

DoubleRR

November 20th, 2008, 12:22 PM

When I switched my Rhodesians to Orijen, they were very smelly for the first three months. Part of that is the body ridding itself of toxins built up from lesser quality foods [and they were on premium foods!]--so a few weeks is certainly not too much to see the difference in your pup.

The biggest arguements against high protein foods are based on the problems high protein dervived from grains and additives cause---the high protein in Orijen is from meat, so it will not cause issues such as growth problems or kidney problems. Also, the ingredients are Canadian and the plant produces only Acana and Orijen, which keeps the food safe from some of the poisons in additives problems other foods have had in the recent past.

It takes time, but it is VERY worth it to read ingredients--for humans AND pets.
Your pup will smell while his body adjusts to the better food, but unless he has an uncommon allergy to an ingredient in the Orijen, he will be much healthier in the long run. He is an adorable baby--good luck and give him a big hug from me!

scathach

November 20th, 2008, 02:03 PM

thanks for the explanation! I'll give him a big hug once i'm home! He's not as adorable as he use to be cuz of the 2 cherry eyes but he's getting operated on tuesday! He's getting his nuts cut too! Can wait to see him with a cone!!! :laughing:

scathach

December 2nd, 2008, 09:48 AM

Georges seems to go well with the Orijen food... It's been 3 weeks now and he's finally pooping right... he's the cutest when his pooping having a lil bit of his tongue out :p

AmericanBullMom

December 2nd, 2008, 09:55 AM

its "cute" now cuz he's still small and poops are still small... Wait til he grows up... NOT SO CUTE... :laughing:
Glad he's doing better! Pretty much puppies are an experiment to find out what works best with their sensitive tummies, eventually we all get it right!

Goldens4Ever

December 2nd, 2008, 10:21 AM

Georges seems to go well with the Orijen food... It's been 3 weeks now and he's finally pooping right... he's the cutest when his pooping having a lil bit of his tongue out :p

Awesome. :)

diandpat

December 2nd, 2008, 01:07 PM

Scathach, I think you have done a great job of asking questions and trying to make informed decisions about your first puppy. I also think that Orijen is a fantastic choice and gives your dog a great chance at a happy healthy life.

I assume the cherry eye and neuter went well.

I think you need to definitely post more pictures in a picture thread. Puppies grow so fast and we don't want to miss anything ;)

scathach

December 2nd, 2008, 02:04 PM

Everything went well with the surgeries! He's alright, but a bit miserable. He still has his cone and will have it till saturday! 4 mores days to go.

diandpat

December 2nd, 2008, 02:06 PM

LMAO :laughing::laughing::laughing:

The always look soooooo pathetic with that thing on!!!!

Glad he is doing well!

scathach

December 2nd, 2008, 02:16 PM

he had the same pathetic look before the cone! it came with the breed ;) It sure helps him getting everything he want! ;)

rainbow

December 2nd, 2008, 02:23 PM

he had the same pathetic look before the cone! it came with the breed ;) It sure helps him getting everything he want! ;)

:laughing:

And, he IS absolutely adorable. :cloud9:

Glad the surgeries went well :thumbs up and that the Orijen is working out for him. :goodvibes: